463 Lanosterol 14-demethylase (CYP51), NADPH–cytochrome P450 reductase and squalene synthase in spermatogenesis: late spermatids of the rat express proteins needed to synthesize follicular fluid meiosis activating sterol G Majdicˇ, M Parvinen1, A Bellamine2, H J Harwood Jr3, WWKu3, M R Waterman2 and D Rozman4 Veterinary Faculty, Clinic of Reproduction, Cesta v Mestni log 47a, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 1Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Anatomy, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland 2Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232–0146, USA 3Pfizer Central Research, Department of Metabolic Diseases, Box No. 0438, Eastern Point Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340, USA 4Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Center for Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Requests for offprints should be addressed to D Rozman; Email:
[email protected]) (G Majdicˇ is now at Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235–8857, USA) Abstract Lanosterol 14-demethylase (CYP51) is a cytochrome detected in step 3–19 spermatids, with large amounts in P450 enzyme involved primarily in cholesterol biosynthe- the cytoplasm/residual bodies of step 19 spermatids, where sis. CYP51 in the presence of NADPH–cytochrome P450 P450 reductase was also observed. Squalene synthase was reductase converts lanosterol to follicular fluid meiosis immunodetected in step 2–15 spermatids of the rat, activating sterol (FF-MAS), an intermediate of cholesterol indicating that squalene synthase and CYP51 proteins are biosynthesis which accumulates in gonads and has an not equally expressed in same stages of spermatogenesis. additional function as oocyte meiosis-activating substance.